Girl, What? Survey Finds 32 Percent Of Women Are More Afraid Of Being Lonely Than Having Cancer

In a survey done by Everyday Health in 2017 that collected the responses of 3,000 women of all different ages, incomes, education and ethnicities (9 percent were Black, 8 percent Latina by the way), the consumer health website sought to find out the ways in which today’s women define health and wellness. Is it based on stress and anxiety levels? Is it based on responsibilities? Worries about weight and physical appearance? The results they found were very interesting, and at times, startling.

For instance, one-third of women (32 percent) said that they were more afraid of loneliness than being diagnosed with cancer. Not surprising, Millennials were the majority of people who felt this way at 42 percent, with Generation X women at 29 percent and Baby Boomers at 27 percent. Thirty-nine percent of those who felt this way made less than $50,000 a year, and the majority of respondents also came from the Midwest and West. Thirty-nine percent were not parents, and 41 percent said they were single while 39 percent were separated, divorced or widowed. Thirty-four percent were white women, 29 percent were Asian, 27 percent who said this were Hispanic and Black women were in last place when it comes to fearing loneliness over cancer at 25 percent of respondents.

Other interesting findings? Eighty-one percent of women are not getting enough sleep. Nineteen percent said they hadn’t had satisfying sex within the last year. Sixty-two percent of Millennial women worry about their money weekly. And the top five wellness definers of 2017 were stress, sleep, exercise, eating healthy and anxiety. The top “women’s wellness influences” that were said to “matter most to my overall wellness goals” included financial security, being as healthy as possible, feeling supported/loved, having confidence, the ability to feel energized and passionate about something and having optimism and balance.

The big wellness priorities based on region included knowing that “what’s on the inside counts more than what’s on the outside” in the West, “Feeling supported and loved by others” in the Midwest, “Finding enough me time” in the Northeast, and “Having a healthy and satisfying sex life” in the South.

And despite that whole shocking loneliness vs. cancer point, the good news is that almost half of the 3,000 women surveyed could say they felt “loved, cherished, supported, or special to someone else.” They also also are doing some serious laughing (71 percent say they are laughing heartily) and they want to spend their money and time reaching goals that provide internal happiness. That includes going on vacations, cooking, education, increasing self-awareness and spending time with friends and family.

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